1
: the action of caving in
2
: a place where earth has caved in

Examples of cave-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Today's Featured Photo Crews are at work in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood after a sewer cave-in left a massive hole on Campbell Street. Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 16 July 2024 Not long after, she’s informed that her father has been killed in a mine cave-in, prompting her return to her desert hometown with the symbolically less-than-subtle name of Creation. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2024 Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies and paramedics responded to the cave-in around 3:16 p.m at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Beach, roughly 7 miles north of Fort Lauderdale Witnesses told NBC6 the children were digging a hole when the ground gave away, trapping them beneath the surface. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2024 Blame the Great Depression, the effects of World War II, a 1968 market fire and a 1980s cave-in of midtown Baltimore property values. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2024 Paulding Country Fire & Rescue said that the laborer fell into the trench, caused by a cave-in, early Friday afternoon. Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024 Authorities have not said what caused the cave-in, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods. Reuters, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023 California Anaheim corruption report alleges a criminal conspiracy, secret lobbying and influence peddling July 31, 2023 La Habra city officials say the cave-ins are more about what was built on top of the channel than what lies below. Gabriel San Román, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023 Short of a complete cave-in between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Angels can’t trade Ohtani. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cave-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cave-in was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near cave-in

Cite this Entry

“Cave-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cave-in. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cave-in

noun
ˈkā-ˌvin
1
: the action of caving in
2
: a place where earth has caved in
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